Almost half of online purchases are the result of “showrooming”, a growing trend in which consumers evaluate products in store, but make purchases online. This is what a new survey by IBM's consulting division with 26,000 consumers from around the world showed, presented during the 2013 convention of the National Retail Federation.
“There must increasingly be an interaction between the real and the virtual. It is important to highlight that almost a quarter of these consumers intended to buy the item in store, but in the end purchased it online due mainly to two factors: price and convenience”, comments Alejandro Padrón, consultancy leader for the retail sector at IBM Brazil.
The research revealed that consumers are diversifying the way they purchase products, becoming increasingly open to purchasing both online and in physical stores. Although more than 80% chose the store to make their last purchase (except grocery products), only half are committed to returning to the establishment next time.
In-store, it is important for retailers to develop digital experiences and provide sellers with the necessary technology to store purchase data and consumer profiles. On the internet, websites need to be adapted for different devices, such as tablets, smartphones, notebooks and desktops. “Retailers must provide a positive shopping experience so that customers feel satisfied and return to make new purchases. And technology is an essential tool to help them make more assertive decisions for the business”, adds Padrón.
How trends emerge
Measuring public sentiment can help marketing directors at retail companies customize campaigns and services that meet each customer's needs. Today, data management tools (analytics) can help them identify consumers' purchasing profiles and format real-time offers that meet customers' interests.
In this context, the Birth of a Trend concept is a practice that makes it possible to understand online trends that can revolutionize an industry. Using advanced data analysis across a base of more than half a million messages contained in social networks, blogs and news sites, IBM can track the advancement of sociocultural trends in geographic and chronological dimensions.
Analytics solutions can also be used to identify why consumers who previously visited stores are switching to online shopping, so that retailers can act and make necessary adjustments. IBM researchers have been working on inventions that will improve the experience, both in-store and out. This month, IBM announced that it was the number one company in patent registration in 2012, which marks the 20th consecutive year that the company has been recognized as the most inventive in the world. IBM's 2012 patents include inventions in the field of retail, up to a patent that would allow consumers to identify a product using just a photo, and a patent to enable retailers to capture in 3D the movement of a consumer as they walk through the store, to offer them a more personalized shopping experience.
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